Hello again readers out of countless stories you have chosen me again supposedly. I decided to upload agains cause GOD DAMN IT people don't update frequently and the really good shit just doesn't update in like ages, once again I'd like to mention I'll be reworking earlier chapters as one of my beta's Captain Heilix began doing some work on my older chapters, made some good suggestions to help the story flow more smoothly. Go check him out he's writing a few Toaru fics himself. Now for the few reviews I get:
Whwsms: now now, lets not get to hasty. Could you IMAGINE what Index would do to Othinus if she found out? Also once again you appear to be the only reviewer this week
Once again I encourage reviews and constructive criticism. I would like to improve as a author. Now let this tale of a distant Infinity commence once more.
Chapter 8
A series of Misfortunate events
As the group discussed how they were going to proceed they eventually settled on Itsuwa carrying Gentle Annie who was restrained in the back, Index and Touma in the front to deal with any supernatural threats, and Hyouka in the middle to be protected. As they moved along, deciding to head to the District 7 hospital where the Frog faced Doctor Heaven, Canceller worked as it was generally the safest place to be and they needed medical help after the battles they had recently endured.
And so the odd precision of a Nun and highschool followed by an artificial angel and backed with a spear wielding girl carrying an old woman made their way though district 19 heading off to district 7.
As they passed through district 6 heading towards district 5 they found themselves passing a baseball cage and noticed one of it's ball throwing machines on Touma decided to go turn it off saying "Some lazy punk probably left it on" and made his way to the batting cages.
Before he entered one of the balls bounced off of one of the poles that was connected to the fencing on the inside causing it to fly into the now unlatched door Touma was about to open, said door then flung open smacking Touma backwards, he then stumbled as a slight breeze blew a empty can under his foot causing him to trip he then stumbled onto a nail that was lying on the ground causing it to stab into his foot and he shouted in pain "Such Misfortune!" he shouted as he hopped on one foot into the cage room only to be bombarded by a series of baseballs and fall onto the back fence of the cage which then fell inward he then stumbled and fell down a hole that was in the ground that appeared to be under maintenance as there was warning tape and cones around it there was a splash heard in the hole as he fell into a liquid and then silence.
Itsuwa's eyes widened in shock and a bit of horror at the misfortune she just witnessed "Kamijou-san!" she shouted and put Gentle Annie down before beginning to run towards the hole.
Index's eyes were wide for a different reason however "Touma's misfortune has never done that" she said and looked around. There was a tree that she knows wasn't there before, she and Touma once visited here with their friend Arisa who had released another album last night so Index knew what this place should look like, and that tree was wrong.
"No Itsuwa!" she shouted, but all too late as one of the tree's large branches moved, swinging itself into Itsuwa and throwing her to the side. She flew through the fencing around the batting cages and slammed into the ball throwing machine that was on causing it to break. Index noticed that there was a small figure leaning against one of the balls near the hole and guessed that Othinus must have gotten thrown off Touma while he was stumbling around. Kazakiri leapt in front of the grindylow and kicked it causing it to stumble back uprooting it's trunk like leg as it slammed into a building. She then glanced at Index "I-I guess this is that trap utilizing Kamijou's misfortune they were talking about" she said nervously as she blocked one of the grindylow's arms before grabbing it and swinging it sideways.
Itsuwa was recovering now and the small Othinus rushed over to her "I suspect this means that Muireann is waiting down that hole for the Human" Othinus remarked as she climbed onto Itsuwa's shoulder.
Itsuwa nodded and then began to head her way to the hole in the ground. The Grindylow Tried to stop her but Kazakiri was already in front of it punching it's body causing it to fall to the ground.
Index grabbed Gentle Annie and made her way to Itsuwa as she neared the hole but, upon reaching it they realized that the grindylow and fey had thought of that, instead of a clear hole in the ground they saw a mass of Tree roots covering it.
"Damn it!" Othinus shouted "They got him alone down there! And we are gonna need to defeat the damn Grindylow first if we are gonna be able to aid him."
Grindylows were evil nymphs that inhabited water or trees but they were sometimes considered demons, and due to the common association of demons and possession they could control the object of fluid they inhabited. Their forms as trees were called a different name due to it's similarities with a particular creature in popular culture, an Ent
Index put Gentle Annie to the side in the batting cage area so she'd be out of the way of the fight, before turning to the Grindylow. Which was getting up after Kazakiri had struck it.
"Hyouka! Fall back a moment!" Index shouted to which Kazakiri nodded before jumping back to the group.
They hear a deep scraping chuckle and turn to the Grindylow as it got up "I'm afraid by the time you beat me the Imagine Breaker will be long dead" it said as it began to move towards them "I honestly was shocked that plan worked, who'd have thought something as ridiculous as manipulating misfortune was so easy, yet so effective I must say I'm quite impressed by it" Itsuwa then gritted her teeth "You may be tough, but you're a bit arrogant to think you can beat us on your own like that." she smiled as she brandished her spear. "We will defeat you and then find Kamijou-san"
Othinus poked Itsuwa's cheek to get her attention and then said "Don't get too cocky we don't know what else is waiting for us" Index narrowed her eyes and said "Yes, she's right where's the Maiden? Tsushimya said the grindylow and Muireann retrieved her."
The grindylow then charged swinging one of the tree branches up and then down towards Index who jumped to the side as Kazakiri intercepted it kicking it away from the group.
It slammed into the ground near the batting cages before sweeping back towards the group as a second branch swung in from the side forcing them to dodge backwards. Kazakiri used her foot to stop the first branch by stomping on it, and a hand to stop the second branch grabbing it and immobilizing it. She then reared back and headbutted the body of the Grindylow causing it to swing back but be unable to fly backwards as it's branches were being held.
Itsuwa then leapt up behind it and swung her spear down, but a third branch swung around to smack her.
Othinus back flipped and placing her hands on Itsuwa's shoulder and used her feet to kick the branch just off course causing it to barely miss Itsuwa.
Itsuwa stabbed her spear into the back of the trunk and muttered a quick prayer. A light flashed from the tree and something was launched out.
What flew out and slammed into a wall appeared to be a beautiful young woman with ankle length blue-green hair and emerald eyes. She had what appeared to be moss covering her body like a wetsuit and was around 180 cm tall.
She shook her head and glared at Itsuwa, her hair flickering from blue-green to reddish-purple and the moss going from lively to rotted purple.
She spoke in a voice reminiscent of a flowing stream and shouted "Ahrg! You realize how Difficult it is to find a tree as good as that one, and how long it took to perfect it?! That Hurt! What in Tír nAil did you do? I can't repossess the damn thing!"
Kazakiri moved towards Index as Itsuwa got off the now inanimate Tree-trunk and brushed some white grains from the tip of her blade, one which she recently swapped out with a Cold forged tip before turning to the true form of the Grindylow.
"I used purified salt and enacted a form of exorcism, your kind are considered demons to christian faiths so by applying that I was able to force you out of the tree, while purifying it so you couldn't re-possess it." Itsuwa gazed calmly at the grindylow The grindylow Glared at her but then smiled. "But you only purified the Trunk didn't you?"
Itsuwa's eyes widened and she jumped out of the way as a branch swung down to crush her. "What? But you're not in it!" she shouted only to see the Grindylow grin wickedly "Who said I was the only one possessing that Tree? Nothing says that more than one grindylow can't inhabit the same tree. Get them Brothers!" shouted the Grindylow.
The tree began to move once more, it swung it's now free branches. Two towards Index and Kazakiri and one at Itsuwa and Othinus. And spoke the same in scraping grinding voice but this time with three extra voiced overlayed "As you wish Thame Jena" It no, they said as they attacked.
Index ducked and rolled forward just missing the Branch as Kazakiri kicked the one swung at her causing it to hit into the first. Itsuwa bent backwards as she swung her spear, and noticed Othinus sprinkle a little salt from her pouch onto the blade. The blade struck the branch and Itsuwa gritted her teeth in pain and said the prayer causing the same light from earlier to flash out. Throwing a second Grindylow out of the tree. The sky overhead was overcasted causing the light to be that much more visible dazing Itsuwa, as she leapt back.
The second Grindylow was a bright green haired pale-skinned boy younger than the first who shared the emerald eyes of the first similar to the first he was covered in moss which was more vibrant and lively than the first's.
The first Grindylow Thame rushed over to him and picked him up before leaping back and glancing at Itsuwa angrily who was slowly recovering from a daze. Thame then looked at the second Grindylow and asked "Esca! Are you alright?" The second Grindylow now known as Esca responded to his sister and said "Im okay Thame but Kelvin, and Lincon won't be able to fend them off on their own." It began to rain and Thames smiled "Looks like they won't have to."
Itsuwa realized something was off and turned to Index who also realized something was off.
Index turned to Kazakiri "Hyouka!" she shouted.
Kazakiri had already moved, grabbing Index and leaping over the Grindylow's tree landing next to Itsuwa just as a bolt of lightning struck where they were once before.
Index Itsuwa, Othinus and Kazakiri all looked Towards the batting cages to see the Maiden standing next to Gentle Annie who was still unconscious but her body moved without her, its finger pointed where they just were.
Now the true battle had begun.
